Shao Ting, China's Top Player, Is Training With The Lynx

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Lynx opened training camp this week, and there's an intriguing storyline to follow.

For the first time, they have a player from China. They see it as a great opportunity to grow the game.

"Very excited," said forward Shao Ting, through an interpreter, though her English seemed quite solid.

"I can speak English, but I'm just a little nervous, because I never speak English in China," she said.

Shao is China's best player, basically China's Maya Moore.

"Very honored to be here," she said. "To represent Chinese women's basketball."

She's here largely because of the Wolves' and Lynx' new minority owner from China.

"China is very passionate about their women's league, and China's very interested in the WNBA," said Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve. "And so, we thought it would be great if we could kind of designate a spot in our training camp for a player that was interested, and kind of exposing them to our league."

Reeve, among others, put a list of potential players together, and then asked Moore and Sylvia Fowles, who've both played in China, for their input. Shao was a teammate of Fowles in China the last two years.

And though the adjustment to American basketball – and Shao says maybe even more so Western culture – will be an undertaking, she's grateful for the opportunity.

"Exciting," she said. "And I'm so happiness to come here and train with so many stars."

With no WNBA experience, Shao is facing an uphill climb to make the team. But two days into training camp, Reeve has been impressed with her so far.

"She's done well," Reeve said. "I can tell you, of the 14 players that are out there, she's not lost. She's not the one who's lost. I have Americans who are lost."